Explosive motor



Dec. 25, 1934. R. B ECKMAN 1,985,595

EXPLOSIVE MOTOR Filed Aug. 17, 1928 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.1.

INVENTOR By Alto eys,

Dec. 25, 1934. R. BECKMAN EXPLOSIVE MOTOR 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 1'7

w AV INVENTOR Patented 1934 PATENT ornce SClaims.

This invention relates to animproved'explosive engine or motor adapted for general purposes but of peculiar fitness for use aircraft.

It is an object of the invention to provide a motor into the respective cylinders of which regulated quantities of fuel and air may be positively introduced at a ratio which may be varied in accordance with changes of atmospheric conditions, thus resulting in an increase in efllciency,

in the propelling of an economical use of fuel, and a minimum.

' resultfrom association with lubricants.

It is a further object of the invention to pro- I vide for the'admissionof gas to the power cylinders of the motor under such pressure and under such regulation as todispense with the use of a special ignition system after the motor has once been started and warmed up, a suflicient compression being obtained to result in spontaneous combustion at or near the end of the compression stroke. *The invention also includes means whereby th'e'aifand gas may be admitted to the power cylinders" under suchconditions as to provide a suilicient degree of stratific'ation to prevent the'ignitior'i from becoming complete until the piston has'substantiallyreached the end of its stroke and thefcrank-is at'its dead-center.

An additional feature 01' improvement consists in so arranged the air-inlet andexhaust connections at:the :flring ends of the cylinders as to cause the exhaust gases to be rapidly cleared away by the entering fresh air,-and to provide a copious tor to the atmosphere.

- Other novel features of the invention will become apparent as the mechanism is described in detail.

In the drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form,--

Figure 1 is a rear face view of the engine, a 5 part thereof at the left being omitted, and a part being indicated in section along a plane through the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, the section through the cylinders being taken along planes passing through the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, and the section through the mixing chamber and associated parts being taken along the plane passing through the lines -22' of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the power cylinders along a plane passing through the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a timing diagram illustrative of the cycle of changed conditions which repeatedly occur in each of the power cylinders of the motor.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, a motor embodying the invention comprises a plurality of power cylinders 20 mounted radially on a crankcase 21, within which rotates a crank-shaft 22 having a crank 23. In each cylinder is a piston 25 25 connected to one end of a pitman 26, and the several pitmen connect at their other ends to a common sleeve 24 journaled on the crank.

Preferably the source of gas supply for the power cylinders will comprise a mixing chamber 27 externally disposed with respect to and independent of the crank-case. Gasoline or other appropriate fuel may be fed to the mixing chamber by a suitable jet nozzle 28 to which, for best results, the fuel should be supplied at a rate proportional to the speed of rotation of the motor. This may best be efiected by means of a fuel pump diagrammatically indicated at 29. which may be directly connected by means of suitable gearing to the motor shaft 22. Fuel 40 fed to the pump through the supply pipe 30 may be conducted to the jet nozzle through the pipe 31 and admitted at a rate which may be regulated by any usual adjusting mechanism controlled by a hand-lever 32.

The air supplied to the mixing chamber will produce the most satisfactory results if fed thereto under pressure at a rate approximately proportional to'that of the rotation of the motor. Such air may be fed to the mixing chamber from any appropriate source, but, in the preferred form of the invention herein disclosed, it is supplied by air compressors or superchargers directly connected with the crank 01' the motor.

In the specific form of the invention disclosed proximately opposite each other so that air willbe drawn into one cylinder while it is being forced from the other to be conducted to the mixing chamber.

Each of the cylinders 33 is provided with a piston 34, which may be connected with the sleeve- 24 by means of a pitman 35 corresponding with the pitman 26 of the power cylinders.

The admission and discharge of air to and from the supercharger cylinders may be controlled by valve mechanism of any suitable character. The air-intake port of each supercharger may be provided with a hood 36 (Fig. 1) having its opening facing towards the front of the engine and its valve will be so timed as to be opened during the suction stroke of its piston and closed during the compression stroke. The discharge outlet 37 of each supercharger cylinder may be provided with a spring-pressed valve 38, which will permit air to be forced from the cylinder during the compression stroke of the piston through conduits 39 to the mixing chamber 2'7. The supercharger cylinders may also be provided with one or more auxiliary ports 40, said ports being open to atmosphere and so positioned as to be uncovered by the outer end of the piston just before it reaches the inner end of its stroke. These ports 40 serve as a means of insuring the filling of the supercharger cylinders with air at substantially atmospheric pressure just prior to the commencement of the outward movement of their pistons. The ports 40 also serve as a means for venting the crank-case in a manner which.

will hereinafter be described.

The invention includes means whereby gas may be fed from the mixing chamber to intake ports in the various power cylinders in succes sion, the connection to each cylinder being effective only throughout a period conforming substantially with that during which the intake ports' are open. In the form of the invention herein disclosed, means is provided whereby the intake port of each cylinder is open only throughout the short period during which its piston is at the inner end portion of its stroke, and the connection from the mixing chamber to each admission port is such as to be effective for the delivery of gas to each cylinder at each alternate stroke throughout the same period.

As indicatedin Fig. 2, gas may be admitted to each power cylinder by means of a port, or preferably a series of ports 41, so positioned as to be uncovered by the outer end of the corresponding piston as it reaches the inner end portion of its stroke, indicated in broken lines at 41, Fig. 2, thereby permitting gas to enter the cylinder from a surrounding passage 42 (Figs. 2 and 3) supplied with gas from the mixing chamber by a distributor mechanism constituting an important feature of the invention, the preferred form of which will now be described.

The crank-case is provided with a housing to which connect radiating inlet conduits 49 leading to the respective cylinders 20 and communicating with their. inlet ports 41 through the passages 42. Rotating with respect to the crank-case is a distributor 51 which receives the gaseous mixture from the mixing chamber 27, through a conduit 47 (Fig. 2). leading to a chamber "46 in the crankcase housing, from which the gases flow into a distributing chamber 54 from'which as the distributor rotates the gases are directed :iucces sively into the inlet conduits 49, entering only the conduits of those cylinders'in which the pistons are nearest the inner ends of their strokes, so as to uncover the ports 41, while the other conduits 49 are cut off from communication with the walls 45 into an inner annular chamber 46, connected by a conduit 47 with the mixing chamber 2'7, and an outer annular chamber 48 connected by the radially-disposed conduits 49 with the inlet passage 42.

To afford a means of communication between the inner and outer chambers 46, 48, the partition walls 45 may be provided with a plurality of port openings 50 (Fig. 1). I

The ports 50 may be controlled by the rotatable distributor 51, which may be secured to the motor shaft 22 and may have a portion 52 extending into the housing in a concentric sliding relationship with a portion of the partition wall 45. To the outer surface of the ring 52 may be secured a pair of circumferentially spaced partitions, 53 (Fig. 1) 'of dimensions such as to completely radially fill the chamber 48 and form a sliding fit with respect to the outer wall of the annular chamber48, thereby segregating a relatively small portion of this chamber from the remainder thereof to form the chamber 54,

Each of the pistons 53 may comprise 8. lug 55, which may be extended from the outer surface of the ring 52, and a follower 56 between which and said lug a block of suitable elastic material 57 may be compressed into a fluid-sealing relationship with the walls of the annular chamber 48 by means of an appropriate adjusting mechanism such, for example, as the stud 58 and nut 59.

The short portion of the ring 52 connecting the pistons 53 is provided with one or more ports 60' (Fig. 1) and the remainder of the ring 52 is made imperforate so as to close the adjacent ports 50,

and cut off communication between chambers 46 and 48. The number, size and spacing of the ports 50 and the number, size and spacing of the ports 60 should be such as to afford free communication at all times between the annular chamber 46 and the chamber 54 as the distributor 51, secured to the crank-shaft, is rotated with respect to the housing secured to the crank-case.

The pistons 53 on the valve ring 51- 52 should be so related with respect to the crank 23 that the chamber 54 will always be in communication with the conduit 49 of a cylinder the piston of which is at the inner end of its stroke, and the spacing of the pistons 53 should be such that the conduit of each cylinder will remain in communication with the segment 54 throughout the entire period during which the ports 41 are exposed at the outer end of the piston, so as to aiiord a means of communication between th chamber 54 and the cylinder.

It is important that the pistons 53 be of such dimensions circumferentiallyas to completely close the conduits 49 as they pass the same, so that said conduits will not form a by-pass through which the gas mixture may escape from comprises a single valve 61 normally held-in closed relationship with respect to a port 62 by means .of a spring 63. The movements of this valve may be controlled in any suitable manner, as by means of a lever 64 connected by means of a rod 65 with a cam mechanism 65' (not fully shown) operated in a well-known manner through gearing connected to the crank-shaft 22. The gearing should be such as to impart a single rotation to the valve-actuating cam for each two rotations of the crank-shaftgand the form of the cam should be such as to open and close the valve in accordance with the usual four cycle system as will be hereinafter described.

The air-inlet valves for the supercharger cylinders 33 may be controlled by mechanism simi lar to that providing for the control of the valves 61 of the power cylinders, except that the cams should be of such form as to open the inlet valve of the supercharger cylinder at the beginning of each suction stroke of its piston and should close it at the end of each suction stroke; I

Valve-operating mechanism of the above-described character is well known in the art and need not be specifically illustrated and described here.

If desired, the space just without the port 62,

may be enclosed by means of a housing 66 having a rearwardly-disposed exhaust orifice 67 and a forwardly-disposed'air-inlet orifice 68. Such a housing constitutes a highly satisfactory means of expediting the scavenging of the cylinders from all exhaust gases at the end of the exhaust stroke and the introduction of pure atmospheric air at the initial portion of the suction stroke of .the piston. This is especially true when the engine is used as an aircraft motor, in which case the rapid flow of air into the orifice 68, which may. if desired. be deflected upwardly by baflles 69. would have a tendency to pass rapidly over the port 62 into the exhaust orifice 6'1 and create a siphon effect adapted to clear the end of the piston of exhaust gases and carry them into the exhaust pipe connected with the orifice 67. If all cylinders are connected with a common exhaust, this siphon effect at each cylinder end will be augmented since the exhaust oi each cylinder will tend to produce a partial vacuum at the exhaust orifice 67 of each of the other cylinders which will aid in creating a flow of fresh air into the orifice 68 over the port 62 and out at the orifice 67. It will be apparent. therefore,

' that before the piston commences its suction stroke all exhaust gases have been far removed from the end of the cylinder and pure atmw pheric air will be drawn into the cylinder during the suction stroke of the piston.

It is to be observed that the housing sear fords a straight line passage from the air intake than is the case when there is no straight line.

A cycle of operations in accordance with which a o p q n ed-wit ith n qn 5 well adapted for use is graphically-represented in Fig. 4., As .therein clearly indicated. starting with the piston of any power'cylinder at the ,outer end of an exhaust stroke, the-valve 61 remains open during a rotation of the crank through an are of during which fresh air is drawn'into the cylinder valve 611B then .closed during a rotation of the through established in the cylinder. At this point communication has been established by the distributor between its chamber 54 and the conduit 49 of the cylindenandthe gas admission ports 41 commence to open on further movementof the piston. During a followingrotation of the crank through an arc of 66, gas is admitted to, the cylinderthrough the ports .41. vFlow of gas during this'period is due to threecauses, that is, (1) the partial vacuum which has been established in thecylinder, (2) the pressure established in the gas-mixing chamber .27 by the ,admission thereto 0! air under pressure, and (3) the centrifugal effect. of the quantity of airwhich is rapidly rotated about the-,engine-shaftin thesegmental gas chamber; 54' by the pistons 53.

Due to these three causes and theregulation of the] admission offuel and air to the gas-mixing chamber, definite quantities of gas mixture are quickly introduced into the cylinder at each fuel feeding stroke. 'Afterthe admission-of gas, the .valve 61 remaining closed, the gases are compressed during the outward movement of the piston while the crank isbeing rotated to its outer dead-center position. I At some appropriate time; prior to the end of this compression-stroke. preferably within an arc of crank; rotation of 25, the gases are fired and are caused toexpand (and impart energy to the motor while the crank rotates through an arc-of The valve 61 is then opened and theproducts of-.combustion are permitted to escape through the port 62 fwhile the crank rotates through an are of 50- 'f to its inner deadecenter positionand through an additional to its outer dead-center position. At the inner dead-center position the pistonthe second time uncovers the-ports 41, but at this time the residual pressure of the gaseous products is in excess of the pressure in theinlet passage 49, or the. difference in-pressures is in' suihcient. to lift the check valve 72. (hereinafter I referred to) so that no fresh gas.is ;admitted to commingle withthe exhaust gase'sn Thereafter the valve 61 remains open and the cycle-is thenrepeated. H 1

During the initial startingup .oi' the engine, the explosion ofthegases at an appropriate part of the cycle prior. to ;the.end ,of the. compression,strokemaybe effected by ignitioh 1 mechanism of the dual hig h tenslon I comprising spark-plugs 70,' '71 indicated on one of the power cylinders of ;themotor,-conwith the usual source of,. ene '8y-; -nd dist i n i s. ani m snot-shown Due; to th m rm y wi ahithe sasma be dini'tted to the. cylindersiandrtothedegree of passage through the housing but a deflecting wall 5 between the air inlet and exhaust orifices which precludes a straight line passage betweenthem regulation of the mixture which b fit ai ledj a d t amount qi comw ssica wh cha v i 1 b e s tis .to,. n the ignition;systemxafter;the; enginez hasmnce l hy qu'sh a med ria h xp os h i a tak g; pl c .snont ncous1n.- .The1manner in. whlchthe f es ai xt r gree of stratification to avoid premature ignition, the complete ignition being delayed until the crank has reached its outer dead-center position, or approximately so. At the instant of introducing the rich fuel mixture through the ports 41 and close above the. piston, there is stratified abovethis mixture the air previously drawn in;

as the piston travels outward these two layers agitated and to move rapidly about the cylinder from one point to another. This movement is transmitted to the air stratum above it so that by the time the combustible mixture is formed the gases composing it are in rapid motion and,

any ignition is almost instantaneously distributed throughout the whole body and the explosion becomes complete and substantially instantaneous throughout the whole body of the gases. When the invention is applied to a motor of the form herein disclosed, having nine power cylinders arranged in the same plane, they will preferably be arranged for firing in the order l3-579-.-24-6-8, the power cylinders being regarded as being numbered consecutively and the supercharger cylinders being disregarded in the numbering.

It will be apparent that the ports 41 are ex- 35 posed at the outer ends of the pistons not only at the fuel intake stroke but also during the exhaust stroke. stroke is somewhat later than the opening of the exhaust valve 61, as a result of which the pressure 40 in the cylinder has very materially decreased be fore the ports 41 are opened. However, in order to avoid a flow of exhaust gases into the conduits 49 leading to. the gas distributor, each conduit may be provided with a suitable check valve, here- 5 in disclosed as a spring-pressed valve 72. x

If desired, the length of the piston of each power cylinder may be made relatively short as com-' vented through the ports 41 intothe inner end of.

the cylinder and-thereby permitted to pass into the crank-case.

'In order that exhaust gases may not be allowed to accumulate-in the crank-case, the latter may.

be vented by means of the ports 40 in the supercharger cylinders, the lengths of the pistonsof which may be so proportioned with respect to the lengths .of their strokes as touncover theports 40 65 when the pistons are moved to the outer ends of their strokes, thereby directly wanting the 'crankcase to atmosphere.

By feeding measured quantities of fuel andv air to the gas-mixing chamber at rates proportional 70 to the speed of rotation of the motor, the latter may be causedto operate with a substantial de-' tree of uniformity sodong as atmospheric condi-v tions not changed. The invention, however, additional means of regulation whereby 76 substantially the same degree of uniformity may This opening during the exhaust stances the air-supplysystem may be provided with an exhaust valve or by-pass 74, which may be controlled by a suitable valve 75. If the mechanism has been adjusted to supply the motor with the proper mixture for use at high altitudes, with the by-pass olosed,it would be supplied with too large a volume of air at low altitudes due to-the greater density of the charge of air "drawn into the cylinder through the port 62. At such times the proper mixture may be effected'by opening more or less the valve75 in the by-pass 74, thereby permitting part of the air supplied by the supercharger cylinders to escapeto atmosphere and a smaller quantity to be admitted to the mixing chamber whereby to compensate for the charge of greater density drawn into the cylinder through the port 62.

Since the mixture of air and fuel to be fed from the mixing chamber to the distributor will be smaller when the by-pass is open than when it is closed, the conduit 47 may, if desired, be provided with a throttle valve '76, and this'valve may be connected with the valve 75 in the by-pass by ap-' propriate mechanism diagrammatically represented by the arms '77, '78 and connecting rods 79, so that the by-passwill be opened as the throttle crumed at 81and havinga motive device connected therewith consisting of a hollow diaphragm chamber 82 adapted to be flatt'ened'on increase'of atmospheric pressure and a spring 83 adapted to expand the chamber on decrease of atmospheric pressure.

From the foregoing description it will be appar-' ent that the invention provides a motor to which 'fuel and air may be supplied in a'positive manner and under such regulation as to adapt it for a most economical consumption of fuel at high emciency and capable of performing satisfactorily under widely varyingconditions of temperature and atmosphericpressure. The fuel is kept entirely free from containinationby-contact with lubricating oils, the valves are so disposed as to avoid over-heating, and the parts of the mech-' anism' are so disposed as to thoroughly scavenge the cylinders after each combustion. The invention is not intended to be'limited to the specific form which hasbeen selected for purposes of illustration but should be regarded as including modifications and variations thereof within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fixed radial hydrocarbon engine compris ing a plurality of radially-disposed power cylinders and aircompression cylinders in the same radial plane, a "crank and crank-shaft, pistons in the cylinders connected with the crank, a stationary gas-mixing chamber, conduits connecting the air compression cylinders with the chamber, means for feeding fuel to the chamber, and a gas distributor comprising a conduit connected with the chamber, conduits connected with the powercylinders, and relatively movable portcontrolling elements by whichthe distributor nication with the conduits connected with the power cylinders, whereby an intermittent connection may be effected between the chamber and each of the power cylinders.

2. An engine having radial cylinders mounted on a crank-case, each cylinder having fuel inlet ports uncovered by the piston at full instroke, the crank-case having an annular fuel distributing chamber having ports communicating by radial passages with said inlet ports, and a distributor entering said annular chamber and comprising partitions radially filling such chamher and circumferentially spaced apart to form a separate chamber communicating with two of said radial passages coincidently with the uncovering of the corresponding inlet ports by the cylinder pistons, a source of gaseous fuel, and passages conducting such fuel to said distributor in the said separate chamber thereof between said two radial pistons.

3. A fourcycle internal combustion engine, each cylinder having at its outer end an air inlet and exhaust valve, and having fuel inlet ports uncovered by the piston at full instroke, a source of gaseous fuel, and a rotating distributor turning at the same speed as the crank-shaft receiving fuel from such source, and directing it successively to the fuel inlet ports of the respective cylinders, a valve-operating means holding said outer valve open both during the exhaust and on the ensuing suction stroke to draw in fresh air, the fuel admission through such ports occurring at the end of such stroke, and the compression on the next outer stroke, such valvecontrolling means adapted at the end of the next ensuing power stroke to maintain sufficient pressure-of residual gases in the cylinder to prevent admission of fuel when said inlet ports are uncovered by the piston at theend of such power stroke, whereby while the distributor effects communication with the inlet ports of each cylinder at each instroke of the piston, such fuel is admitted only at every alternate stroke. 1

4. A hydro-carbon engine comprising a plurality of power cylinders and air compression cylinders, a crank and crank shaft, pistons in the cylinders connected with said crank, a stationary gas mixing chamber, conduits connecting the air compression cylinders with said chamber, means for feeding fuel to said chamber and a gas distributor comprising a conduit connected with said chamber, conduits connected with the power cylinders and relatively movable port controlling elements bringing the distributor conduit into successive communication with the conduitsconnected with the power cylinders, whereby an intermittent connection may be effected between the chamber and each of the power cylinders, thegas admission ports in the power cylinders being so positioned as to be uncovered by their respective pistons as each piston is moved to the inner end portion of its stroke and thereby permit gas to flow-from the distributor to the interior of the respective power cylinders, check valves in the said conduits connecting with the power. cylinders to prevent the flow of exhaust gases therethrough when the admission ports are opened during an exhaust stroke, the length of the power pistons being so proportioned with respect to their lengths of stroke'asto open the gas admission ports of said cylinders and afford a means of communication between the inner end of each, cylinder and the distributor conduits connected therewith when the corresponding piston is at the outer end portion of its stroke, thereby venting the part of the distributor conduit between the check valve and the cylinder port into the inner end of the cylinder, a crank case into which the inner ends of the power and air compression cylinders open, the said air compression cylinders having ports in their walls so positioned as to be uncovered by the pistons during the outer end portion of the stroke of each, and thereby vent the crank case to atmosphere.

5. An internal combustion engine having a rotatable crank shaft, a crank case, radial stationary cylinders circumferentially displaced about said shaft and a power piston in each of said cylinders connected with said shaft, each of said cylinders having fuel inlet-ports, an annular fuel receiving chamber adjoining said crank case, a distributor rotating at crank shaft speed about said receiving chamber, said distributor having an outer segmental opening and ports for cylinders respectively at the in stroke end of the I piston, while the said cylinder ports are uncov ered by the piston. I

RICHARD BECK'MAN. 

